The PSNet Collection

Save to Library

Chicago, IL: Harpo Productions, Smithsonian Channel: May 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the impact of racial disparities and inequities on patient safety for patients of color. This film shares stories of families whose care was unsafe. The cases discussed highlight how missed and dismissed COVID symptoms and inattention to patient and family concerns due to bias reduces patient safety.

Dying for Care.

Save to Library

Stein L, Fraser J, Penzenstadler N et al. USA Today. March 10, 2022.

Nursing home residents, staff, and care processes were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. This collection of resources examines data and documentation involving one nursing home chain to reveal systemic problems that contributed to failure. It shares family stories that illustrate how COVID affected care in long-term care environments.

COVID-19 Focused Inspection Initiative in Healthcare.

Save to Library

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. March 2, 2022.

The impact of nursing home inspections to ensure the quality and safety of the service environment is lacking. Weaknesses in the process became more explicit as poor long-term care infection control was determined to be a contributor to the early spread of COVID amongst nursing home residents. This announcement outlines a targeted inspection initiative to assess whether organizations previously sited have made progress toward improving workforce safety.

Caring for Those Who Care: Guide for the Development and Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Programmes for Health Workers.

Save to Library

Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization and International Labour Organization; 2022. ISBN 9789240040779.

Workforce well-being emerged as a key component of patient safety during the COVID-19 crisis. This report supplies international perspectives for informing the establishment of national regulations and organization-based programs to strengthen efforts aiming to develop health industry workforce health and safety strategies.

The abrupt expansion of ambulatory telemedicine: implications for patient safety.

Save to Library

Khoong EC, Sharma AE, Gupta K, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2022;37:1270-1274.

In response to concerns about COVID-19 transmission, many ambulatory care visits have transitioned to telehealth visits. This commentary describes the impact of telehealth on diagnostic errors and medication safety in ambulatory settings. Recommendations to further understand the impact of telemedicine on patient safety include: systematically measuring patient safety outcomes and increasing reporting of safety incidents; identifying the patients and clinical scenarios with the greatest risk of unsafe telehealth care; identifying and supporting best practices to ensure equal access to safe telehealth.

Patients went into the hospital for care. After testing positive there for Covid, some never came out.

Save to Library

Jewett C. Kaiser Health News. November 4, 2021.

Nosocomial infection is a primary concern due to the COVID pandemic. This news story examines instances when inpatients contracted, and sometimes died of, COVID-19 while receiving care for a different condition. It summarizes the challenges associated with collecting adequate data that completely document nosocomial spread of COVID-19 and its impact on patient outcomes.

How to seek care for non-covid health issues during the pandemic, and why you shouldn’t delay.

Save to Library

Bever L, Chiu A. Washington Post. September 16, 2021.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, patients have shown reluctance to seek medical care, which contributes to delayed diagnoses and treatments for non-COVID conditions. This news story suggests actions for patients to take to keep themselves safe from harm while accessing care during uncertain times.

A crisis within a crisis.

Save to Library

Ellis NT, Broaddus A. CNN. August 25, 2021.

Maternal safety is an ongoing challenge worldwide. This news feature examines how the COVID pandemic has revealed disparities and implicit biases that impact the maternal care of black women. The stories shared highlight experiences of mothers with preventable pregnancy-related complications.

Structural racism and the COVID-19 experience in the United States.

Save to Library

Dickinson KL, Roberts JD, Banacos N, et al. Health Secur. 2021;19:s14-s26.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the continued existence of structural racism and its disproportionate impact on the health of communities of color. This study examines the experiences of non-White and White communities and the negative impact of structural racism on the non-White communities. The authors call for bold action emphasizing the need for structural changes.

Opioids in the United Kingdom: safety and surveillance during COVID-19.

Save to Library

Osborne V. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2021;34:357-362.

The opioid epidemic is an ongoing patient safety issue. This literature review examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid surveillance research in the United Kingdom. Of studies conducted during the pandemic, most explored the impact of the pandemic on access to opioids or opioid substitution therapy.

Missing diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a year in review.

Save to Library

Pifarré i Arolas H, Vidal-Alaball J, Gil J, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:5335.

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic immediately changed how patients sought healthcare. This study analyzed the change frequency of diagnoses made in 2019 compared to 2020 in one region of Spain. On average, the number of diagnoses declined 31% from 2019 to 2020, with cancer diagnoses declining by nearly 50%. As COVID-19 cases continue to decrease in many areas in 2021, the authors recommend local, regional, and national public health leaders prioritize plans to target under-diagnosed conditions.

How medical jargon can make COVID health disparities even worse.

Save to Library

Kritz F. Shots. National Public Radio; May 24, 2021.

Health literacy efforts address challenges related to both language and effective communication tactics. This story discussed how lack of language and information clarity reduced patient education effectiveness during the pandemic and highlights several efforts to address them including information product translation services.

A crisis of undiagnosed cancers is emerging in the pandemic’s second year.

Save to Library

Eldeib D. ProPublica. May 4, 2021.

Concerns continue to emerge regarding the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the timely diagnosis of cancer. This story highlights the impact of patient inability or unwillingness to schedule annual screenings, physician visits and treatment of chronic conditions and primary contributors to the problem.

Addressing systemic racism in nursing homes: a time for action.

Save to Library

Sloane PD, Yearby R, Konetzka RT, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021;22:886-892.

Racial bias and racism are increasingly seen as a critical patient safety issue. In this article, the authors outline the components of systemic racism (structural/institutional, cultural, and interpersonal), how they manifest and affect the long-term care system, and the detrimental impact of systemic racism on Blacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 pandemic mistakes we keep repeating. We can learn from our failures.

Save to Library

Zeynep Tufekci. The Atlantic. February 26, 2021

Failures in communication have impacts on patients, teams, organizations and society. This article discusses five weaknesses in pandemic messaging that were counterproductive including use of shaming instead of empathy to engage the public, lack of detail on suggested strategies and insufficient advice to support public adoption of harm reduction activities.

Hospital-acquired SARS-Cov-2 infections in patients: inevitable conditions or medical malpractice?

Save to Library

Barranco R, Vallega Bernucci Du Tremoul L, Ventura F. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:489.

Health systems have implemented various strategies to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Based on ten studies, the authors estimate that the nosocomial transmission rate is 12-15%. The authors discuss the role of infection prevention and control procedures, and the potential implications of hospital-acquired COVID-19 on medical malpractice.

Analysis of patient safety risk management call data during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Save to Library

Wessels R, McCorkle LM. J Healthc Risk Manag. 2021;40:30-37.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery. This study reviewed data from a large medical professional liability company to explore guidance sought by physicians and dentists during the initial months of the pandemic. Providers’ questions and concerns primarily involved operations (e.g., access to personal protective equipment, liability coverage), patient care (e.g., guidance for screening patients), scope of practice, and use of telemedicine.

The plague year. The mistakes and the struggles behind America’s coronavirus tragedy.

Save to Library

Wright L. New Yorker. January 4, 2021;96(463):20-59.

Uncertainty, misinformation, management gaps, and rapid escalation undermine crisis response effectiveness. This article illustrates system, leadership, and process failures that contributed to harms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection: lessons for public health.

Save to Library

Richterman A, Meyerowitz EA, Cevik M. JAMA. 2020;324:2155.

Health systems have taken various approaches to reduce hospital transmission of COVID-19. These authors discuss the impact of universal masking policies for healthcare professionals and patients, dedicated break space, minimizing the use of shared patient rooms and regular testing with short turnaround times on hospital-acquired COVID-19.

Nursing homes fined for COVID infection control lapses.

Save to Library

Jaffe S. Medpage Today. November 25, 2020.

Infection control is a primary safety mechanism that presents challenges for nursing homes. This news story highlights a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services program to fine nursing homes for infection control lapses during the COVID pandemic and discusses the potential residual impacts of the strategy.

All Content

Connect With Us

Sign up for Email Updates

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

All Content

Connect With Us

Sign up for Email Updates

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

PSNet Log in

Submit Your Case

Continue as a Guest

Continue Logged In

Submit Your Case

Continue as a Guest

Already have a PSNet

Account?

New Users